During its FM Pledge Drive, WCVE invited listeners to have a cup of coffee them in a local coffee shop. On the last day, the station celebrated a successful pledge drive with the community at a local brewery. This initiative is “dubbed Mug Stops” because each time the station designs a special, collectible mug people can purchase for a $10 donation. The last mug was designed by a listener who doodled a cat listening to the radio and drinking coffee out of a WCVE mug (www.ideastations.org/hugothecat).
The original intent of the Mug Stops was to encourage listeners to build buzz about the station on social media with a fun, community oriented activity. At the Mug Stops, fans are encouraged to take pictures with radio staff members and post the photos on their personal social media accounts with #pledgeWCVE. By being in the community and supporting local businesses during the Mug Stops, WCVE reinforces its pledge to give local.
The Mug Stops have grown from being a fundraising experiment to a really fun fixture of our pledge drive campaign. The station staff and community looks forward to the Mug Stops and new mug design as more and more people grab a cup of coffee with us each year. We also collect passionate listener testimonials at the coffee shops to use on air to further reinforce our pledge drive message and feeling of community.